Helpless
by Doleesa
Summary: Supergirl's caught off guard. Alex is surprisingly falling apart at the seams. Luckily, Lena Luthor has a steady head on her shoulders.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, I have submissions, so _naturally_ my muse drops by for a visit.**

 **God, I hate the title.**

 **I don't really know what happened here, and I'm not sure I like it much but that's what comments are for *wink* but no really tell me what you think and if you hate it because while I do have a couple of prompts I'm supposed to be writing (for Pitch Perfect, so if you're here because you thought this was that, I'm sorry it's not! I really am, I will do my best to get those done too!) I haven't done any writing in a while and I'm worried about this.**

 **Um, and yeah, the supercorp here is implied, nothing definitive, though I may be convinced to write a follow up or a Lena POV for this if enough people want to see it.**

 **Disclaimer: Supergirl doesn't belong to me, more like it's the property of the CW and DC.**

* * *

It's deafening.

It stabs at Alex's chest painfully as she swivels around to look at the wall of monitors because she knows in her _bones_ that she would have heard that agonized scream even if she wasn't wearing the earpiece connecting her to Supergirl.

To Kara.

And it's a chilling sound; surprised and winded and downright _tortured_ because very few things on this planet can elicit that sound from the Girl of Steel.

Objects from _other_ planets however…

Satellites are honed in on Supergirl faster than she can demand them, and it doesn't make her heart stop racing. Because she's on the ground and writhing, and Alex can _see_ her veins turning a poisonous green.

Her lungs feel like they're encased in rapidly cooling molten iron cage entirely too small; scorching hot and so tight it's restricting her air flow.

There is a crowd gathered around Supergirl, a few on their phones and hopefully dialing for an ambulance but the large majority stand by helplessly.

A distant and disembodied voice deep in the back of Alex's mind doesn't seem surprised or angry at the crowd; nobody's ever seen Supergirl felled like this before.

Before she's even realized it, Alex is geared up and rushing out the doors of the DEO, not caring much about being subtle because _Kara_ is gasping for breath in her ear through the communication device and each agonized sound further splinters Alex's thoughts.

 _Supergirl was making an appearance at a school bake sale._

 _Supergirl wasn't even in combat, wasn't on a mission._

 _It should have been a safe, regular morning._

" _Too far… why is this bake sale so out of the way, it's too far…"_

It takes too long to get there, too many minutes of Kara's sobs in her ear.

She's thankful that the crowd parts for her as she finally makes it to the scene, barely registering that the NCPD is on site, barely registering that Maggie, her Maggie, has Kara's head in her lap as she whispers soothing words to her baby sister as Kara's trembling fingers scramble for purchase anywhere.

The agent's gut knots painfully because the veins on the back of Kara's shaking hand are a sickly green, seeming to pulse and spread more.

She's dimly surprised that the street doesn't splinter and crack around her as she drops to her knees besides Kara, voice betraying her panic as she tries to get Supergirl's attention, tries to calm her writhing and sobbing so she can figure out how to make the pain stop. But Kara's inconsolable and even the barest touch makes her cry out, and Alex is rapidly losing her composure as she grows more helpless.

Maggie's hand – much to Alex's hysteria – is covered in blood as she covers Alex's to draw her attention to her face, the detective giving her girlfriend a soft look, before easing Kara to her side so Alex can find the source of this mess.

Kara's cape falls away to show where the blood pooling around them is coming from – an entry wound no longer than her index finger that is pulsing a shade of green she used to love before she saw the devastation it caused.

Maggie's voice startles her back to reality, soft but grim, "Nobody saw it happen, not even Supergirl. She had just landed and was in a huddle when she screamed and crumpled. My people did find this though."

A knife hilt with the blade missing.

Well, it's not missing. Alex knows exactly where it is.

Broken off into her baby sister's back, slowly killing her.

"It's really deep in there, Alex."

She swallows because she knows it is, _sees_ that it's too far in there for her shaking fingers to extract in the middle of this park, with all these scared kids watching their hero bleed out green-tinged blood at their feet.

As she watches the poisonous green creep up along the veins in her sister's neck, she knows it's too far in there for her shaking fingers to extract at all, period.

But she'll be damned if she doesn't try because Kara's whimpering and it hurts more than anything she's ever experienced in her life.

Maggie expects it to be a lot harder to restrain Supergirl while Alex snaps on gloves and gets whatever tool she needs to pull the Kryptonite shard out. Except Kara's grip on her jacket is loosening and weakening far faster than either one of the brunettes thought, Alex barely keeping her sobs in her throat.

Kara's skin is colder than it ever has been on this planet.

Alex does let out a miserable sob when she spends a whole minute trying (failing) to grab the Kryptonite, Kara barely gasping for breath through the pain and what little screaming her rapidly depleting energy allows.

The blonde's already barely-there struggling lessens further as someone pulls Alex away, the agent distraught and thrashing messily to get back to Kara's side because _this is not how this ends, she can't and won't fail her sister like this…_

The hands at Kara's back are smooth and unfaltering as they take over for Alex, who has stopped her struggling and shrieking once she registers the expensive dress currently getting covered in Supergirl's blood; the heels hastily discarded to the side in favor of a more comfortable seating position; the high end watch nestled amongst exquisite gold bracelets; the stern bun holding back what she knows to be long raven locks from a stern and serious, though no less distraught than her own, face.

She doesn't know how or when or why, but Lena Luthor has come to the rescue.

And she doesn't particularly care as she watches the CEO's steady hands guide the extraction tool inside Kara's wound, murmuring soft _loving_ apologies and reassurances and promising a weakly whimpering Kara that, _"it'll be over soon, love, I promise, just a few more seconds…"_

It takes seconds though it could have been years as far as Alex is concerned before Lena's hand comes away from Kara's back with the deadly knife blade, frantically tossing it as far away as she can from Supergirl, the hero gasping and shuddering in Maggie's lap as her body closes up the wound to start healing.

Whoever had Alex in a vice-like grip – later, much later, Alex learns it was J'onn – let's her go and she scrambles over towards Kara, stumbling a little and dropping down next to Maggie as the detective runs soothing fingers through blonde tresses, checking vitals and holding on to Kara's hand as she brushes hair away from her face and kisses Supergirl's forehead, her tears flowing more freely than she remembers them in a while.

In her hysteria, she barely notes Lena Luthor sitting against her sister's back, the CEO's sobs clearly barely restricted to her throat as her bloodied hands run and touch whichever part of the hero Alex isn't touching, eyes tracking the green retract from Supergirl's veins.

It takes very little convincing to get Alex away from Kara long enough for a DEO team to move her to a vehicle to transport her back to HQ. Maggie keeps her arms around Alex's waist, effectively keeping the agent on her feet and helping her to another vehicle so they can follow.

They're almost to the car when Alex remembers to turn around and call Lena Luthor over to go with them, frowning and walking back over when she notes Lena's tense, quaking form, barely standing on her own two feet as she lets herself feel the panic and fear of the situation. The agent swallows thickly as she takes the engineer's hands and gently tugs her along, Lena surprising both of them with a rough sob breaking loose from its prison in her throat, hand flying to her mouth to catch the rest before they break free too, Alex taking in a shuddering breath before pulling the other brunette into her arms for a firm hug, reverently whispering a "thank you" that could never fully relay how grateful she is to Lena Luthor.

Soon, they're all back in the DEO, nobody batting an eyelash about a Luthor being in there as they stand around Kara in the med bay, the blonde hooked up to numerous machines and unconscious under the sun lamps.

J'onn silently pulls a chair closer for Lena as Maggie makes Alex sit down.

The detective and the DEO director take turns watching over Alex and Lena as the latter two in turn watch over Kara, who remains unconscious for agonizingly long hours that seem to drag on.

It is two sleepless days and nights later when there is a faint change in Kara's heart monitor, and the hero is heard taking in a ragged breath, eyes fluttering open slowly.

Her voice is gravel and raw and thorns digging into the soft inside of her esophagus as she rasps out a, "hello?," two watery eyes immediately hovering over her, the blonde's face breaking out into an exhausted though no less sunny smile, eliciting broken laughs that trail off into relieved sobs as one tall brunette lets her hands brush away the hair from Kara's eyes, while the other one's poised and control façade finally cracks as she lays her forehead against the hero's hand clutched in her own to muffle her cry.

The blonde's fingers weakly twist and bury themselves in raven tresses and lightly scratch, voice hoarse and raspy as she whispers, eyes closing contently, "My two favorite girls. What more can a girl ask for to wake up to?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oops. My hand slipped.**

 **I've never written/updated something so fast. And I can sincerely say it's thanks to you all reading and commenting. The response has been amazing and I couldn't have asked for more. So thank you so much, all of your support, in any form, means a lot to me. This one's for you all before it's meant to express me.**

 **If anyone's interested, I might do one from Maggie's POV. Maybe J'onn too. Maybe just one from everyone's POV. But right now I'm mostly thinking one from Detective Sawyer. Let me know what y'all think/want.**

 **As always, none of the characters belong to me. Neither does Wicked and the song Defying Gravity. I'm just currently obsessed with it.**

* * *

She woke up alone this morning.

She always wakes up alone.

Though this morning, like quite a few in recent memory, she woke up with an overwhelming feeling of bliss.

Her massive bedroom, with its floor to ceiling windows serving as a wall and its sleek, minimal furniture in monochromatic shades isn't – for once – cold and cavernous. She doesn't feel lonely or restless, even though, to the naked eye, this morning is no different than ones she's had all her life.

Her bedmate has a biologically hard-wired internal clock that rouses her with the rising of this planet's yellow sun, like her very cells are humming and reaching for the bright warm light. The knowledge that she hasn't been abandoned is such a comfort, it is breathtaking and almost painful sometimes.

She turns to lie on her back, blinks slow as she takes in the mess that is the sheets on the other side, the indent of a head on the pillow neighboring hers still fresh. Her smile is peaceful as she, once again for the nth time, wonders at the familiarity, at the knowledge that someone spends enough time in her bed that the pillow smells like them regardless of how often she washes the covers; that the pillow is perpetually marked as theirs regardless of how often it is fluffed.

Her fingers are reverent as she lays on her side and extends them to lightly touch the pillow, not daring to apply any pressure that would disturb the mess.

Her inhale shudders because it isn't just _someone_ that frequents her bed.

It's Supergirl.

It's _Kara_.

Her exhale is lost amidst a sleepy, breathless chuckle that is just so unbelievably… _happy_.

It isn't often that Lena Luthor gets to claim that sentiment for herself.

The flutter of her curtains in the breeze coming in through her open balcony door has her sitting up in the slightest, sheets held against her chest, as she looks over just in time to quietly watch Supergirl land.

Bathed in the early morning rays, hair a golden halo mussed by the caress of the winds as she flew, Supergirl is the epitome of sublime.

Her steps are soft and sure, her smile easy and wholly in love.

The coffees and (enormous) pastry bag in the hero's hand is easily abandoned in favor of a kiss that is soon – _too soon_ – ruined by the face-splitting grin that neither one of them can determine belongs to whom.

So unbelievably happy.

And it's early enough that neither one of them needs to rush – her even less so since she is, after all, the CEO of her own company; the job came with a few perks – and she can lazily get out of bed and slip into Kara's button down left at the foot of the bed. And she can indulge in helping Supergirl take off her cape – their own little morning routine after the hero's done saving cats from trees, and directing traffic around schools – as they share soft shy kisses that almost always turn into more as they stumble into the shower.

They keep it chaste this morning, both relishing in the comfort of simply being.

And as always, Lena is struck by how _easy_ it is, being this in love with Kara Danvers; watching her polish off more than half of the Danishes in the bag she brought home without even thinking about it coming off as odd – without needing to hide.

Even though they're still keeping their relationship hidden, Lena wanting to keep Kara to herself for as long as she can, it doesn't bother her because _Kara doesn't hide_ _from Lena_.

Eventually though, their days do need to start, and they need to do so separately. And much to Lena's displeasure, Kara tells her she won't be able to make it to their planned lunch today because Supergirl has promised to make an appearance at a bake sale downtown.

But Lena's pout – as insincere as it was because come on, who's actually gonna be upset about National City's favorite hero spending a day with kids and confections? – falls away easily as she watches Kara gush because, _"they were so cute, babe, all shy and scuffling their toes in these_ _ **adorable**_ _Supergirl costumes as they asked me if I could come say hi, how could I_ _ **not**_ _say yes? Plus, it's a_ _ **bake sale**_ _; I'm going to get so many cookies! Ooh, maybe you can stop by too!"_

The CEO wonders – as she watches Kara dash off with a squeak because Snapper is calling her and she's so late – if she'll ever stop feeling so strongly for the blonde.

Jess keeps her absurdly busy for the morning, as she's been instructed to do lately just so Lena can actually get work done instead of spending her days thinking about Kara – even more so whenever the TV, always open to the news, is broadcasting Supergirl fighting aliens.

That's another part of her life she may never get used to; the crippling fear watching the one she's pretty sure is the love of her life get thrown around causes, the kind of sickening worry that only comes from caring about someone so deeply you swear you'd go mad if anything happened to them.

Considering her family history with madness revolving around a Super…

She pushes the thought away because, for once, Supergirl lands on the ground on her TV screen with a smile brighter than the sun powering her, and easily kneeling to take in as many children as her arms will allow.

Lena smiles wider, discarding the file she was supposedly going over in favor of getting closer to the screen to watch.

That same smile drops away faster than the bullets Supergirl catches with her bare hands, her step faltering because she sees it happen before anyone else does – before Supergirl herself realizes what's happening.

Before Kara is screaming out in agony as she crumples to the ground.

And for that moment, watching Kara writhe in pain as poison fills her veins in green, Lena has the distant thought that she understands the clichés she's read in novels about a person's heart constricting, about air not filling their lungs, about the knot in their stomach tightening so hard something feels like it's ripping inside.

She wonders inanely as she's running out of the door, purse and phone and everything that _isn't_ Kara forgotten, if this is the kind of pain Kara's in right now because Lena's sure she's going to die if somebody doesn't do something soon.

Her eyes stay on the giant screens located on certain buildings as they report and show live video of Kara _dying_ and Lena can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse as she sits in the back of her car as her driver weaves through the traffic.

The relieved breath that she was about to exhale at the sight of DEO gets stuck in her throat because Alex is frantic and even Lena can see her hands trembling as the veins in Kara's neck turn green, and the blood pooling around her is growing.

The agent can't help.

Before she knows it, Lena's out of her car and _running_ – vaguely aware of a voice in the back of her mind congratulating her on staying to shape – and even sooner she's thrashing against an officer to let her past the yellow tape.

A wave from J'onn J'onzz, who she's heard Kara talk about with glowing affection, whom she knows can read minds, has the officer releasing her and she's back to running, not even slowing when J'onn forcibly yanks Kara's sister off so Lena can actually help.

That same voice in the back of her mind – which, she realizes with a thick swallow, is Kara's loving voice – teases her about whatever her mind was screaming to get J'onn's attention.

Kara's sobbing in Detective Sawyer's lap, flinching and whimpering and desperately trying to hold on to the woman's knee, and Lena's barely holding back her own sobs as she schools her features into the strength Kara needs right now, murmuring soft reassurances of, _"it'll be over soon, love, I promise, just a few more seconds…"_ as she slowly guides the extraction tool into Kara's wound.

It takes her two tries, but she manages to get a hold of the shard and pull it out, throwing it as far as she can as Kara gasps and trembles, Detective Sawyer continuing to soothe her with delicate fingers through her hair, and Lena aches to be the one soothing Kara like that but her hand's shaking and covered in blood.

She barely swallows down her hysteric sobs because Alex Danvers isn't doing a good job at controlling hers and Kara needs at least one of them to hold it together for just a little longer.

The rest of the day is a blur as they load Supergirl into a car to get her back to the DEO, and before she knows it, she's standing guard over Kara's prone body under sun lamps. She doesn't even know how long it's been, nor is she keeping track.

Briefly, her eyes and attention are taken away from watching Kara to look at Alex, the agent awkwardly asking her why and how and when.

Lena only looks at her long enough for Alex to get her question out before looking back at Kara, idly musing that this wasn't how they planned to tell the DEO agent about their relationship.

That their pull to each other was impossible to resist, and frankly, neither one of them wanted to resist.

That once Supergirl had Lena clutched to her chest as she flew her away from an explosion that would have been deadly even – _especially_ – to the Girl of Steel; once Lena, even disoriented, recognized the strong arms and murmured a hoarse, "Kara?" that she was sure was lost in the wind, only for Kara to hold her tighter and slow down to a gentle glide through the air, whispering a delicate, "I've got you," against the crown of Lena's head before dropping a kiss there- well.

There was no going back after that, no denying it.

Alex isn't angry.

Alex doesn't threaten her.

Alex doesn't swear her to secrecy and make her sign an endless number of paperwork.

Alex does, however, reach over and offer her hand a weak squeeze.

It is days – _days_ – later when they hear it; the ragged breath, and see the fluttering of lashes as tired blues blink up slowly.

And Lena would be charmed and swooning when Kara, even in her exhaustion, tries to lighten the mood by calling her and Alex her favorite girls, but she isn't.

She can't be, because her nerves are absolutely fried, and her mind has been numb and empty of everything except the memory of Kara singing _**Defying Gravity**_ , of all things, around her- _their_ kitchen before beaming that blinding smile at Lena as she headed off to be Supergirl, dramatically standing on the balcony's railing and freefalling backwards, Lena's heart always in her throat when she witnessed these stunts even as Supergirl always made it a point to shoot back up in plain sight of her, with a happy giggle and crooning the Wicked show tune.

Lena's spend _days_ wondering if that memory, along with the ghost of Kara's quick peck to her cheek would be her last memory with the hero.

Her sobs are wracking her frame even as she feels Kara's fingers scratching her scalp weakly, body itching to curl up against Kara's side and wrap up in that beautiful red cape to protect them both from the world out to hurt them.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Um. Yeah.**

 **This one's a little more... for lack of a better term, angry. Not sure how or why, but yeah, this is the final product. I'd also like to note that this might be the second to last, with one more chapter from Kara herself.**

 **BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMMENTS/KUDOS/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS JUST ALL OF IT IS WONDERFUL AND MAKES ME FEEL WARM AND FUZZY FEELING PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING ESPECIALLY YOUR COMMENTS THEY GIVE ME LIFE!**

 **Usual disclaimer of none of this being mine.**

* * *

She's having a morning from _hell_.

After spending the past week investigating a spike of alien murders in an increased wave of xenophobia – surprisingly not perpetrated by Cadmus – the latest of which was the murder of a little helpless four-year-old alien toddler, Detective Maggie Sawyer had caved the night before and drank her way to the bottom of one of her girlfriend's harder liquor bottles.

Amidst the mind-splitting headache and dry mouth and general ickyness of a hangover, Maggie vaguely makes a note to have a talk with Alex about the stash of alcohol she found, her girlfriend probably thinking she's being sneaky and won't get caught.

Of course, the increased murder rate meant that the DEO was working overtime to stop the people responsible.

Which is why, to Maggie's immense irritation as she tries to snuggle into said girlfriend, she realizes Alex Danvers hadn't come home last night.

Again.

She sighs as she drags her body out of Alex's Alex-less bed and scolds herself for her misplaced annoyance because, _"Alex is trying to help make the city safe too, so I don't have to bag another four-year-old body again…"_

She feels even guiltier when she catches the text from Alex that tells her she misses Maggie and she's so sorry about her latest case and that she thinks she's almost figure out who's behind these attacks.

Her guilt – if possible – builds further because there's breakfast on the kitchen island and it's from that little hole-in-the-wall bakery way, way across town she loves. She groans when she looks inside to find the pastries inside are still warm.

 _Kara_

Supergirl has been working tirelessly and practically nonstop since the attacks started. Not to say the hero is a slacker as far as her heroic duties are concerned, but she's been spreading herself even thinner lately between her DEO duties and living her Kara Danvers life. The detective knows she's probably not getting more than two or three hours of sleep a night.

Maggie's surprised she hasn't snapped yet.

But every time she sees Kara, regardless of Maggie's increasingly foul moods, the physical manifestation of the sun that is Kara Danvers is, without fail, smiling brightly at the detective as she drops in on her in the precinct with a DEO progress report and a bag of takeout.

And she knows it has nothing to do with Alex, that her girlfriend isn't the one that send Kara out to her with whatever new lab results they've learned, or that Alex hasn't tasked her with making sure Maggie eats something before she starts drowning herself in beer. She knows this because on the rare nights she's gotten to see Alex, her girlfriend starts to tiredly fill her in on the same info that Kara has already supplied.

Kara takes the time out of her absurdly busy schedule, between flying in a cape and getting yelled at by her asshole boss, to check on the detective with a warm smile and concern for her as Maggie's captain yells at her again because, _"you're my friend, Maggie, and let's be real, you're family too."_

She wonders if maybe the happiness has something to do with the increased amount of time Kara is spending with a certain CEO with Kryptonite-green eyes.

She can't help her amused smirk when she remembers Alex's oblivious look and slow blink of her wide bewildered eyes because, _"they're just friends, Mags."_

For a big badass secret agent, Alex Danvers sure can be blind sometimes. It's nice to know it's not restricted to her own love life.

Whatever it is, Maggie makes a mental note to treat Kara to a special night, just the two of them, once she's solved these cases and the people responsible are behind bars.

 _Or worse_ , she thinks darkly.

She watches Supergirl rescue kittens from trees in the early morning sun as she dejectedly shovels cereal into her mouth, each motion of her jaw setting her hung-over brain on fire, as she briefly entertains the idea that at least Supergirl's safe from these xenophobic attacks since the one thing that can hurt her is locked up somewhere in the arctic.

Her musings don't last long because soon enough her phone's blaring to life and she's grunting into it that she'll be there in ten, the rest of the morning soon a distant memory as she immerses herself in her latest victim's case.

When the call comes in about the bake sale gone awry, Maggie's first thought is that she should have kept her mouth shut instead of tempting the multiverse like that. How can one person's luck be _this_ bad?

Her following thoughts as she drives like a maniac down to the scene are of forced optimism, of trying to convince herself that it'll be fine, it can't be that bad if they're calling in the cops instead of the secret men in black that usually deal with this, that it's probably like a splinter and Kara's being a baby about someone taking it out of her finger.

Boy, is she wrong.

She's struck still as she watches Supergirl writhe and cry out in pain because up until this moment, even knowing Kara Danvers personally, seeing her in her super suit firmly equals _**alien**_ for Maggie which meant that Supergirl's biology wasn't like her own.

But seeing her very red blood pool around the hero's body shocks Maggie's system, and suddenly she's caught in the thought that this is _Little Danvers_.

 _Kara._

She doesn't even register the pain in her knees as she drops onto them beside Kara, but she does note the ache in her heart as Kara's hand, veins rapidly turning deadly green, shakes as it reaches for her; notes her fingers painfully trying to twitch into a grip that won't form because, _"Maggie, it hurts- I can't breathe, Maggie, please-"_

She swallows thickly as she tries to soothe Kara and ask her what happened, barking orders behind her for someone to fill in the blanks because Kara's gasping in pain as the blood seeping out is starting to look a little green.

She catches on to someone saying something about a hilt, and a broken blade, and her own veins feel like they're filling with cold Kryptonite, eyes roaming to find the entry wound before she realizes it must be in Supergirl's back.

She suppresses the dark thoughts from clouding her eyes so Kara doesn't see the murderous rage she wants to unleash on the person that did this because the _coward_ couldn't even look Supergirl in the eye when they tried to _murder_ her in front of **children**.

Instead, she murmurs quietly to Kara that, _"it'll be okay, I've got you, and you're going to be okay…"_ as she tries to turn Supergirl on her side, biting her bottom lip hard as Kara's anguished cry rings out at the movement.

Maggie's no doctor, but she's seen her fair share of wounds, and this one- makes her ribs feel like they've suddenly grown thorns that are digging into her heart and lungs.

She hates herself as she shifts to lay Kara's head in her lap, trying to jostle the hero as little as possible while continuing to murmur _**lies**_ to her.

" _It's nothing, Supergirl, you're gonna be fine…"_

" _The DEO will be here any second now, Alex will be here to take even better care of you, just breathe…"_

Alex is going to be a mess.

Not that Maggie would blame her; she's barely hanging in there herself.

It's a cold sobering shower on her entire existence; watching this woman, akin to a god but really just a soft delicate ray of sunshine, felled so wholly by a piece of rock.

Soon, Alex is there, and for one moment, Maggie thinks it'll be okay because Alex is rushing over in full Agent Danvers mode even as she murmurs to her the obvious, that it's lodged in there good and deep.

That moment of relief is, however, fleeting because she barely has to look up at Alex's quickly crumbling resolve to know that it's dire.

She figures, as she slides her hand that isn't coated in the alien's blood in Kara's hair, that if these are her last moments on earth, Kara should have at least one calm person so she isn't absolutely terrified.

So she keeps her voice soft regardless of Alex's hysterical frantic attempts to save her baby sister, and she keeps murmuring to Kara that it'll be okay, nodding as Kara – sweet loving and _unfailingly selfless_ – Kara murmurs, breaths more ragged and grip on Maggie's jacket progressively weaker, making Maggie promise to look out for Alex.

But suddenly Alex is gone and Maggie's looking up to see why she's _moving_ _away_ now that Kara needs her most of all, frowning when she sees her trapped and thrashing in J'onn J'onzz arms, jaw dropping open to protest before the pale hand contrasting sharply with Supergirl's suit catches her eye, and she's looking into the face of one Lena Luthor, framed by long raven locks and an indescribable pain in eyes the color of the veins in Kara's neck.

And the voice, controlled but so very deeply and truly _in love_ cements the truth in Maggie's gut, the detective continuing her soft soothing ministrations in Kara's hair, Lena Luthor's easy words of, _"it'll be over soon, love, I promise, just a few more seconds…"_ has even _**Maggie**_ believing her even when Kara keeps sobbing in her lap.

Her heart feels lighter a little because, _"Good job, Little Danvers."_

Her heart feels just about ready to fly out of her throat when Lena's hand comes away with the pulsing green sharp blade, not even caring about evidence as she watches the CEO throw it as far away from a trembling Kara's body, pale blood covered fingers shaking as they check Kara over, Kryptonite-colored eyes tracking the recession of the poison from the hero's veins dutifully.

Her inhale is ragged as Alex drops in next to her to brush Kara's hair away and kiss her forehead frantically, her lungs feeling like they're being introduced to oxygen for the first time, even after she watches them load and drive away an unconscious Supergirl.

She makes sure she's the one driving Alex and Lena to the DEO, because Alex is still a hysterical mess and even though she hasn't yet, Lena's gonna break soon. The detective won't risk it happening behind the wheel of a car.

It feels like just about everyone in the building is hovering. Around Supergirl's unconscious form under the yellow sun lights, that is. But soon they all understand that there isn't much any of them can do except wait her out.

Of course, that doesn't stop Alex or Lena from holding vigil over the superhero.

And once she's sure they'll be okay, she takes her leave with a silent exchange between her and J'onn to call her if there's any change in anything – whether it's Kara or the case – and she'll run back.

She's glad the Martian is psychic; she's not sure she can talk past the seething rage lumped in her throat as she walks past him with renewed vigor.

She has a monster to catch.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Welp, this took longer than I thought. I've been at this since- well, I think it's been 12+ now. Needless to say, I'm exhausted and it's unbeta'd and I'm not sure how I feel about the last bit but I really wanted to write this and give it to you.**

 **Thank you all for you continued support whether it be in the form of comments or follow/favorites or kudos. It's all most welcome. And I know this may come off obnoxious and needy and desperate, but I hope most of all for this chapter in particular you'll take the time to leave me a comment because it really truly helps to know if I did this POV justice.**

 **Please, enjoy the last chapter of this story.**

 **Same disclaimer as always; characters and the show and the comics etc are not mine.**

* * *

It's one of the few quiet mornings she's had since she landed in Earth so many moons ago.

She thinks, often, that it's probably due to the time of day her body rouses; not many humans are inexplicably awakening with the sun because their very molecules are _humming_ for the rays of this planet's yellow sun, reaching out earnestly, entire body all but _singing_ the second the first ray touches her skin.

To say it was an adjustment would be an understatement, especially when she was 12 and suddenly _super_ and every little move would wreak havoc on the Danvers' home because Kara had sneezed and flown through the wall from the force of it.

Alex had been really… miffed… at that rude awakening at 5 in the morning during her summer holidays.

So Kara quickly learned to follow the pull and give in to her body's cravings for sunlight, and the Danvers' smiled softly and nodded quietly and didn't freak out whenever they'd wake up and find the teenager missing because one look out the window and they'd see her, lying on her back with her eyes closed on the grass of their back yard. She looked at peace.

Truthfully though, she was, somehow, even lonelier.

Eventually though – and it took quite some time – Alex warmed up to Kara, and the blonde was getting less lonely, not by much, but it wasn't as heavy as the boom of a planet in her chest, a constant ache anymore.

The mornings when Alex would find it in her to drag herself out of bed – because even if she didn't have super hearing, she became so attuned to her baby sister that she'd wake even though Kara had long ago mastered the art of being quiet – to join Kara out for the sunrise are her among her favorite memories and will be forever.

When she moved National City, there was, understandably, less capability to lie out on grass as the sun broke behind the city skyline; she got weird looks and was almost robbed at gunpoint that first morning she tried to lie down in the park. Thankfully she managed to, uh, _outrun_ her would-be assailant.

She learned to settle for standing in her apartment, behind the floor to ceiling windows that were the reason she bought the place to begin with.

Some nights, when the weight of the loss of Krypton was heaviest in her heart, she'd sleep on the couch so the sun's rays would be the first thing to happen to her that morning – seeping into her cold bones; setting her cells on high alert; making her whole frame vibrate at a soothing frequency; let the light push out the sadness from her blood stream and takes its place instead.

She had stopped resenting her body's inability to let her sleep in like she sometimes wishes she could; it's just another reminder that she isn't human, and she's made her peace with being an alien because the pros outweigh the cons when she reminds herself that she saves people instead.

Though standing here, behind a different set of floor to ceiling windows, she finds herself wishing she could indulge in the comfort of sleep just a little longer.

She wishes she could let her eyes flutter slowly like she's seen so many humans do when they wake up, instead of waking up painfully alert and on edge, ready for a fight that isn't there.

She wishes it would take her a few seconds to recognize where she is and just get to be lazy in bed, instead of the instant hum of energy turning on just beneath her skin.

She wishes she could experience everything with the shroud of sleep still pulling at her eyes; see things with a hazy edge that dulls the crisp angles, instead of the clarity and sharpness of colors and corners and points that are almost painful.

Turning, she looks at the large bed in the middle of the enormous room, with its rumpled sheets and the beautiful woman still peacefully asleep.

She wishes she could wake up at a more normal time so she could watch her bedmate's greener than green eyes flutter open, so she could say that's the first thing she saw every morning.

She wishes she could wake up at a more normal time so she could see her bedmate's softer edges, before the CEO face had to slot into place.

With an amused smile, Kara marvels at herself for holding out as long as she did because, really, she never stood a chance.

Falling for Lena Luthor was inevitable, like growing old.

She sure hopes she'll get to do just that with Lena too.

Lena Luthor who – with her sinfully red lips forming naughty smirks, and eyes achingly green, had snuck up on Kara Danvers – was the other reason for the quietness in the superhero's mind.

With Lena, Kara's mind wasn't buzzing at all times; her ears weren't pushed to the limits of the city in case of trouble; her mind wasn't being split in half trying to keep up with which persona she was at any given moment. Lena neatly and wholly slotted herself into Kara's conscience and sub conscience and, put very simply, consumed all of Kara's attention.

Unlike the rest of Kara's life, it wasn't some big affair or production. It just… clicked into place, quietly and without fuss.

Try as she might to resist, to stay in this quiet moment just a little longer, she has no other choice but to let the sounds of the city slowly filter back into her ear and invade her brain; there is always someone that needs her help, even at this ungodly early hour.

But, she thinks to herself on a rare selfish moment, the cats stuck up trees can wait just a little longer, and that family moving in down the block don't really need help moving their couch in this exact moment, and Mrs. Jacobs in her own building won't need help to get groceries for another two hours. So, sooner than she has in the past, Kara's stepping away from her spot in the sun behind the glass and moving back towards the bed, pushing aside her cells' protest that they're not full yet, musing to herself that it reminds her of when Alex takes away the container of potstickers.

Her smile is soft and reverent as she slips back into her side of the bed – _she has a side of the bed_ – and allows herself a few moments of basking, of letting the backs of her fingers run ever so lightly down the middle of Lena's bare back, of letting her lips find a home against the back of the CEO's neck, of letting her forehead lie gently against her girlfriend's shoulder blade and breathe her in.

As she stays there just long enough to feel more intoxicated than any Zakarian ale can do to her, she smiles because her body's tugs to get back into the sun have ceased, and she knows deep down, as another piece of the puzzle slots into place to fill part of the gap left behind by the destruction of Krypton.

Lena Luthor – who has sharp edges and a lifetime of heart wrenching issues, who lives her life in broad strokes of grey and monochrome, who has more love than she knows what to do with because she didn't experience it herself throughout her life – she's all the sun Kara needs.

The superhero takes her time trailing the tip of her index finger on Lena's back down to where the sheets rest on her lower back, touch getting lighter the further she goes as she eventually pulls away with a last lingering kiss to the raven-haired woman's shoulder, resigned to starting her Super day when she can hear someone's car get a flat tire down the block.

Thankfully, it's a quiet morning, and Kara thanks Rao for small blessings as she flies home – _back to Lena_ \- after checking up on Maggie, complete with breakfast and a hangover cure, hearing some officers talk about Maggie's latest victim being a toddler. She still shudders with disgust at the thought and the grief running through her, vowing to double her, admittedly already extensive, efforts to find the person or people responsible for the recent anti-alien attacks plaguing the city.

She also makes a mental note to organize a game night for her friends and family after this ordeal is over with because they've all been put through the ringer.

Plus, she muses as she gets closer to Lena's balcony, her CEO girlfriend gets really competitive which is _**incredibly**_ sexy.

(And she tends to get into arguments with Alex whenever they're playing Scrabble which is just downright hilarious.)

Her thoughts fall away as she lands oh so softly because she can see Lena leaning up on her elbows, sheets halfheartedly held up to cover bare body, and smiling at her with so much love in her spring-green eyes, and Kara's own loving smile blooms because, _"wow, how did I get so lucky…?"_

She's barely remembered to put the coffee and pastries she picked up while getting some for Maggie down literally anywhere before she's leaning down over the CEO for the morning kiss that'll give her that extra kick for the rest of the day. Never mind that one or the other or both, because she certainly can't tell, is smiling so hard the kiss breaks in giggles.

She never thought she'd be _this_ happy someday.

She knows that Lena probably didn't think so either, if her girlfriend thought she'd be happy _ever_.

The thought makes Kara's heart swell.

With love that she wants to spend the rest of her life showering Lena with.

With rage at Lillian for everything she's ever done to Lena.

With sadness because how can anyone look at Lena and mistreat her so completely.

And some of her inner turmoil must show on her face, in her eyes, because soon Lena's slipping out of bed and into Kara's button down – leaving it unbuttoned with a cheeky smile – and twirling her finger so Kara turns to offer her back, and delicate fingers are being even more gentle and slow and worshipping as they start unclasping her cape – their own morning ritual that always takes Kara's breath away because it feels so _right_.

The Super smiles softly as she feels Lena's soft kiss on her shoulder behind her as she bends her knees just so, enough for Lena to be comfortably undoing her cape, picturing the CEO's playful eye roll because, _"I'm not actually that much shorter than you, Supergirl."_

Their showers are separate this morning because while they're not really late yet, they'll be cutting it really close. Instead, they enjoy a comfortable breakfast just _being_. And while Kara loves the Danvers' with every fiber of her being and wouldn't ever think of them as anything less than family, she can't help but marvel at the feeling of being utterly _whole_ in moments like this with Lena.

It's the closest she's felt to being on Krypton again.

Except, it's even better.

Because Lena Luthor is also very firmly her home here _on Earth_ ; she's the balance between both of Kara's worlds.

She's about to broach the topic of finally revealing their relationship to Kara's friends and family, or at the very least to _Alex_ when duty calls in the form of an irate Snapper Carr, and the DEO's reminder for Supergirl about the bake sale she agreed to go to today, much to Lena's displeasure at having to cancel their lunch date.

Thankfully, the CEO's not immune to Kara's charms and the Super takes full advantage because, _"they were so cute, babe, all shy and scuffling their toes in these_ _ **adorable**_ _Supergirl costumes as they asked me if I could come say hi, how could I_ _ **not**_ _say yes? Plus, it's a_ _ **bake sale**_ _; I'm going to get so many cookies! Ooh, maybe you can stop by too!"_

So it's with wide smiles softened around the edges, and an obnoxiously cheeky smile as she vaults overhead towards the balcony while serenading her girlfriend with _**Defying Gravity**_ , that Kara dashes off to save the day either by writing a snappy (she fist bumps herself for that one) article or while flying around in blue tights and a cape, barely zooming back around to drop hurried kiss to Lena's cheek and call out a promise that she'll be careful out there today and that, _"It's a bake sale, love, the worst thing that'll happen is me getting a sugar rush. Honestly, what could go wrong?"_

Later – _much later_ – Lena makes Kara physically write down a note to never tempt fate like that ever again.

* * *

Her first thoughts are of the children crowding her after her landing, of how she's going to protect them.

It's only _after_ having that thought does she actually feel it, and lets out a blood curdling scream as she crumples.

She heard the snap, and feels it inside her, wedged into her muscles as she falls to her back and ends up digging it deeper into herself.

For the first time in a very long time, Kara can't breathe.

 _Supergirl_ can't breathe.

She can't because with every rattling breath she tries to gasp in or out she swears she can feel the sharp tip grate against her spine.

She wonders, distantly, about how fast whoever did this was because she didn't even have time to feel sick from the proximity to the Kryptonite let alone hearing her attacker.

So fast.

So unlike the slow death that she's experiencing.

Inhale. Pained gasp as the blade presses into her spine just a little more. Exhale. Pained gasp as the blade presses into her spine just a little more.

Repeat.

The tears form rapidly, from pain or the thought of these scared children watching her die, or from the knowledge that it's too deep in there for anyone to pull out.

 _If_ anyone got to her in time.

Perhaps the tears are from the all-consuming _unfairness_ of it all.

Didn't she deserve to be happy for once, dammit?

Her mind is rapidly deteriorating, all thought slowly being replaced by the splitting pain, the scorching fire licking its way through her veins.

Veins that are filled with poisonous green.

 _Green, like Lena's eyes_.

She clings to that, to the memory of Lena and her green eyes.

Eyes that have breathed nothing but love into Kara.

Eyes like spring and creativity and life.

Eyes that make her weak in the knees from happiness, from sadness, from passion.

Eyes that are nothing like Kryptonite but could still very well kill her and she'd welcome it with open arms.

Eyes that she finds her strength in.

So Kara holds on to those thoughts, if for a few more moments, as sirens get closer.

But it's so hard; there is _so much pain_ and she's a sobbing mess because it is overwhelming her senses so much she can't even keep her grasp on the image of Lena in her mind.

 _Oh, Rao, make it stop, please-_

It's Maggie.

Maggie's here and that's a good sign; at least someone will be there, she doesn't have to be alone when-

She's asking things, Maggie is asking her things but all Kara knows is that, _"Maggie, it hurts- I can't breathe, Maggie, please-"_

She just wants someone to make it stop.

She whimpers because her fingers won't bend like she needs them to so she can grip Maggie's jacket; she can't feel them beyond the searing in her palm.

She can't even bite back her cry of pain as Maggie tries to get to her back to help, murmuring in an attempt to be soothing though failing miserably, _"it'll be okay, I've got you, and you're going to be okay…"_

Kara _**knows**_ she's not going to be okay.

She appreciates Maggie's attempts at trying to be strong though, respects it.

Alex is going to need it soon.

She wonders if she can squeeze the words past her clogged throat to ask Maggie to take care of Lena too as she feels the detective ever so gently move her head to her lap, fingers stroking through her hair.

She closes her eyes in pain, mostly, and to avoid having to see the red of her blood stain Maggie Sawyer's fingers.

She's still talking to her, Kara vaguely registers, words too soft to be the truth, but Maggie tells her anyway that, _"It's nothing, Supergirl, you're gonna be fine…"_

" _The DEO will be here any second now, Alex will be here to take even better care of you, just breathe…"_

If only Kara was a fool. She'd give anything to be able to believe those words right now.

Someone else is touching her, and it makes her see stars in the worst way imaginable.

 _Alex._

Kara's breath shudders and she sobs some more and her arm flails stiffly in the hopes of holding her big sister's hand through this – not for her own comfort, because there is no comfort for her anymore, but for Alex because the brunette behind her is hysterical; the hand on her back shaking too much.

A detached disinterested voice in the back of her mind notes that this isn't exactly the most ideal doctor she wants probing around in what is probably a gaping wound in her back.

The same voice notes that the very human detective holding her still isn't struggling to keep the superior alien still like she should, that Kara's getting weaker by the second.

It won't be long now.

She makes Maggie promise to take care of Alex, and she's about to add Lena too when there's a breeze behind her, and Alex's hysterical frantic screams to be let go are farther down from where Kara lies in a pool of her own green-red blood.

Of course that could mean nothing more than Kara's mind shutting down further on her.

But then there's a voice right behind her, and hands that drive- _drove_ her up the wall with their touches are on her back and arm and shoulder and just _everywhere_ , and a murmured, _"it'll be over soon, love, I promise, just a few more seconds…"_ as she feels the cold tool Alex was using again.

This time, the hand's more sure and steady.

It doesn't hurt any less though.

But at least now Lena's there too and Kara can't really think of anyone else she wants with her when-

Well, Kara can't really think at the moment.

She can't see much either; her vision started darkening around the edges a while ago and the blackness just swam inwards her sight is completely gone.

She can't hear much either; nothing beyond her own heart beat slowing in her chest.

She can't smell much either; aside from the coppery smell of her blood mixed in with the rancid effect of the Kryptonite.

She can't feel much either; she wonders if Lena's still touching her, if Maggie is still running bloody fingers in her hair, if she herself is still holding on to the detective's knees.

She's not eating anything, but if she were, she's sure it'd probably taste like sand. Assuming she could taste even that.

It's an eternity, waiting for death.

A death which doesn't come, not just yet, because suddenly she feels an agonizingly slow pull and she's left gasping and shaking in Maggie's lap, gagging a little as the cold sharp nails of sweet, sweet oblivion that were clawing at her spine recede.

She feels trembling hands on her shoulder and bicep, a forehead pressed against her in controlled sagging relief.

She feels more comforting nails lightly scratching at her scalp, a shaky breath inhaled and exhaled overhead.

She feels frantic hands and lips on her face, a desperate voice apologizing and telling her she'll take care of her better back at the DEO.

And then she feels nothing.

* * *

It's quiet when she blinks, and she feels the tug of her cells towards the sunlamps overhead.

The quiet is only disturbed by her own ragged breath, so soft she's sure she herself wouldn't have heard it if it weren't for her super hearing.

But maybe she's been out long enough for humans to become Super too because apparently the two women in the room heard her loud and clear.

The grief in their eyes threatens to drown Kara and she can't help but want to wipe it clean, along with the tears she sees falling, so she takes in another ragged breath and swallows against the sandpaper lining her throat and musters a weak but still-brighter-than-the-sun smile, murmuring about, _"My two favorite girls. What more can a girl ask for to wake up to?"_

She slips her eyes shut again from the sheer exhaustion she's feeling still, smile serene as Alex laughs a watery chuckle, as Lena's ramrod straight back and stony expression finally melts away and makes way for her sobs to break loose, Kara swallowing thickly again as she feels those soft strands of raven hair against the hand trapped in Lena's strong grip, barely managing to twist her fingers enough to scratch the CEO's scalp soothingly.

She knows she should address the fact that Lena Luthor is distraught over Supergirl, that she clearly knows the hero and the reporter are one in the same, that she has some explaining to do.

But the harder Lena sobs, the less Kara seems to care as she tiredly tugs her up onto the bed she's been laid on. And Lena doesn't have it in her to fight or pretend nor does she really want to as she tries to get into Kara's arms without hurting the blonde.

Alex wordlessly helps secure Lena in her baby sister arms and cape.

And Kara lays there, murmuring soft nothings into Lena's hair as the Luthor shakes in her arms, takes Lena's hand in hers and lets her thumb caress the delicate inside of Lena's wrist, cooperates with all of Alex's tests to ease Lena's mind.

It doesn't last more than 90 minutes before Kara's itching to get up and leave already because, _"I'm_ _ **fine**_ _, guys, honest. You said I've been out for days, I've had more than enough time to heal otherwise I wouldn't be awake yet. Besides, wouldn't_ _ **real**_ _sunshine be better? I think it would be, I'm gonna go get some-"_

And she's up and swinging her legs around, studiously ignoring Alex's protests and attempts to get her back in bed, studiously avoiding looking at Lena because if she does it'll break her heart and her resolve.

Turns out, she doesn't need to look at Lena to lose a fight.

Turns out, all it takes if for Lena's perfect hand – scrubbed raw for days to get the visual of her girlfriend's blood off – to settle on the House of El's coat of arms that she wears on her chest, and for her to stand so intimately close and press her forehead against the blonde's temple.

" _Please, love…"_

Turns out, you don't need Kryptonite to render Supergirl helpless.

You just need two broken words whispered in the barely-there space between two lips.


End file.
